Dead & Kidnapped
by AstralBeast13
Summary: Parents murdered, beaten, and left for dead, Edward Cullen tries to move on from the past. Bella Swan moves into town and Edward envies her, always happy and smiling. What he doesn't know is that she has a past that might just be as bad as his and they might just be able to help each other out. AH, kind of OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Dead & Kidnapped**

Summary: Parents murdered, beaten, and left for dead, Edward Cullen tries to move on from the past. Bella Swan moves into town and Edward envies her, always happy and smiling. What he doesn't know is that she has a past that might just be as bad as his and they might just be able to help each other out.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight._

* * *

Chapter One

He was running. The trees seemed to be multiplying by the second. The sky, bright blue and cloudless, was disappearing while darkness took its place. His footsteps were heard through the fallen branches and leaves, he made it easy for the two men to run after him.

His heart was racing. _They're so close._

Suddenly, he felt something in his back. He yelled as it impaled him. A knife. The excruciating pain made him fall to his knees, and he knew he was done for.

He heard the men run up to him and they quickly tied his hand behind his back, then one of them sharply pulled out the knife, cutting even more skin as it came out. He screamed again, but was silenced by a hard kick in the head. A slight stream of blood had started flowing from his mouth. He coughed as he lay on the ground.

"Get the boy," one man said. His voice was very raspy, as if he was sick and could hardly talk.

The boy, with his tear stained cheeks and ripped clothes, tried to fight back as the man hoisted him over his shoulders, but it was no use. Everything was going all wrong.

It was silent as they walked back except for the crunching of branches and the occasional squish as they walked through the mud. The boy hadn't made it that far before he got caught, so it didn't take long to reach the others.

"I finished her off." Another man said, slightly out of breath. He buttoned his pants and then reached down to grab the bloody knife from the ground.

The man who was carrying the boy threw him down. The feeling of cold leaves reached his skin, while the roughness of the branches and tiny rocks scraped against him. The blood from his wound was flowing even more now.

"What about him?" The man motioned with his head to another person laying on the ground a few feet away. It was evident that the man was lacking in strength, but he still thrashed around, trying to get loose, trying to save his family.

The boy looked at the woman next to him. Her clothes were ripped open, her body marked with tiny cuts, while the blood that came from her neck mixed with the dirt, making it look black. He was sure his mother was dead, and at that realization, he started crying.

"Kill them both."

Then suddenly, his mother's head turned to look at him. Her eyes were wide and filled with nothing. Her mouth was opened, cut, and bloody, and it did not move as she spoke.

"Help us."

Edward woke up screaming, his pale skin glistening from the morning sun that reflected off his sweat covered body. Every night it was the same nightmare, the same memory. He had been scarred beyond repair and he knew there was no fixing him.

A sudden knock on the door made him jump and gasp in fear, but he quickly recovered.

"Yeah?" He asked loudly. He rubbed one hand over his face and messed up his bronze hair even more, trying to forget the chilling way his mother had looked.

"Are you okay, Edward?" Asked Carlisle. After the incident, Edward had moved in with his Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle for a "new start".

"It'll be good for you," they all said, but it wasn't. The pain would always be there, no matter where he was.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry."

"It's alright, son. There's breakfast downstairs if you want some. We'll be at church." Edward could hear the pity and sadness in Carlisle's voice. It was always there. Everyone constantly walked on eggshells around him, and he hated it.

"Thanks. Bye."

He heard his uncle's steps fade away, and when he couldn't hear them anymore, he got out of bed and went to his bathroom for a scalding hot shower.

A few minutes later, Edward emerged from the bathroom and went to his closet. He decided not to go out today, so he chose a white t-shirt and a pair of black and yellow basketball shorts.

He grabbed the bible that lay on his desk and headed downstairs to eat. His mother hadn't been a good cook, so he welcomed the food Aunt Esme made everyday.

He thought about all the times his mother cooked. It was a disaster, but it always ended with laughter and take out. Near the end, she had started taking cooking classes and was gradually getting better… but not anymore.

As Edward ate, he read, just like he did every morning, and when his plate was empty, he closed his bible. Even though he didn't ever go to church, he read the bible every morning, thankful for each day he lived despite all that was lost.

He looked out the window. The rays of sunlight were beaming through pieces of broken clouds, the flowers that had started wilting were slowly being brought back to life, the thin blanket of snow was beginning to melt, the Washington air was crisp and cold.

As he looked outside, he thought of what to do for the day. He could do so much. Write a song, write a story, paint, draw, work out, play his guitar, and as he stared at the flock of birds in the front yard searching for food in the snow, he decided what he wanted to do.

After cleaning up, he grabbed his bible and headed downstairs.

The door was closed to the room. His aunt and uncle never went in there, it was Edward's own space to let go and do what he wanted. When Samson opened the door, he felt instant relief, as if all of his problems and worries had gone away to never return.

A long while ago, Esme and Carlisle were expecting a baby girl. Everything was going along smoothly, they had no worries, but then at one of their last appointments, the doctor revealed that the baby had died, a stillbirth. It hit them hard, especially Aunt Esme. She loved children and she couldn't wait to have her own. They kept trying for years, but it never happened.

When Edward moved in, they gave him the room that was supposed to be the baby's playroom. It was empty, but the walls were light pink and the trim was plain white. Edward couldn't re-paint the room, he just couldn't, so he didn't. To accommodate his needs, he installed some dark brown shelves that he made himself. On those, he put his craft and drawing supplies, and on the shelves on the opposite wall, he placed his paints and brushes.

On the farthest side of the room, he hung a plain white sheet against the wall as to not get any paint on it, and he placed a large canvas against it. He always had a canvas ready with an easel at its side. Throughout the room, he hung pictures of his drawings and writings, he made it his own. Here, no one could hurt him. Here, he was safe.

Edward put on his glasses and started painting.

He spent the day downstairs, and when it was time for dinner, his aunt didn't bother going downstairs to tell him, she knew that he wouldn't go up until he was satisfied with his art.

It was nearly 11 at night when he finished. He put his white stained brush in the cup filled with mucky water and took off his glasses as he stepped back. He saw a white background with light green and brown streaks blended in. He had painted his mother's face, not how it looked in his nightmares, but her real face, how he remembers her. She was beautiful, her smile had always brought one to his face. His eyes slightly reddened as he teared up thinking about her. He missed his parents everyday.

It took a few minutes to clean up, but when he finished, he went upstairs to the kitchen, washed his hands, and grabbed two homemade bread rolls and a bowl of mashed potatoes and corn. Aunt Esme made more, but Edward wasn't that hungry anymore.

He made his way upstairs to his room and ate his food in silence. When he was done, he picked out his clothes for the next day since there was school. He turned on the light in his bathroom, went to his bed, and fell asleep, but the images of his nightmare came back again to haunt him.

"See you later, Jacob!" Bella shouted to her best friend. "And don't forget to call me tonight!"

Jacob chucked and yelled back, "I won't!"

Bella smiled and walked to her mom's car, throwing her bag in the backseat and swiftly getting in.

"Hey, mom."

"Hi, honey. How was your day?" Asked her mom, Renee.

"It was good! I got a B+ on my math test, which is better than I thought I would get."

"Good job, honey!"

Bella looked at her mom. The sun illuminated her reddish brown hair and a genuine smile greeted Bella. She always thought she was beautiful for a woman of her age. She was 48, but she didn't look a day over 35.

They continued talking about their day as they drove home. Bella loved that she could talk to her mom about anything. She couldn't imagine her life without her, so she didn't.

"I went to the bookstore today." Renee said.

"Aw, mom! Why didn't you wait for me to get home?" Bella pouted. The bookstore was one of her favorite places to be. Renee laughed.

"Don't worry, honey, I got you two books." And suddenly, Bella felt immediately better.

They chatted a little more as her mom pulled into the driveway and they headed to the door. Their house was small, but was perfect for them. The sun always seemed to shine and the birds never stopped singing. Renee had planted flowers around the house which made it look even more lovely. It was home.

Right before Renee opened the door, she stopped in her tracks.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked. Renee turned around, she had an excited smile on her face and her blue eyes sparkled.

"I got you something."

"The books?"

"No, something else."

"Okay…" Bella said slowly. Renee had never acted this way, but before Bella could question her, Renee turned around and opened the door.

Bella looked around the foyer and down the hallway. Everything looked as it should.

"Mom, what-"

"Follow me." Renee interrupted with a smile and a wave of her hand.

Bella walked slowly, slightly afraid, yet excited at what her mom could have gotten her.

She was halfway to the kitchen when she looked out the door to the backyard and saw what it was. Her mom's smile widened as she took in Bella's expression.

"Mom!" Bella shouted in excitement. She ran the rest of the way through the kitchen, opened the door, and saw a small puppy sitting and staring up at her, his tail wagging so fast she could hardly see it. "Oh my gosh!" Bella turned around and gave her mom a big hug. Renee laughed.

"You have to take good care of him, okay?" Renee said in a stern voice as they parted. Bella nodded frantically. "He's yours now, he'll protect you when I can't."

"Thank you so much, mom!" Bella squealed.

They played with the puppy and after several hours, they decided to name him Graham. He was as sweet as honey, and Teddy Grahams just happened to be one of Bella's favorite snacks.

"He's already trained, so we can leave him alone when we're gone, but I want you to spend time with him too." Renee stated.

"When am I _not _going to spend time with him?" Bella laughed. "He's a Great Dane, right?" Renee nodded. "He's so cute!" She picked Graham up in her arms and hugged him. He licked her cheek in return.

"Oh, your father called today." Renee said absentmindedly as she was figuring out what to make for dinner.

"What did he say?"

"He just wanted to talk to you. He said for you to call him back when you have time."

"I'll call him tomorrow, I obviously don't have time right now." Bella joked.

The evening passed, and it was soon time for bed. Renee had gotten Graham a giant pillow to sleep on, but they found that he preferred an empty suitcase that was left open in Bella's closet. Bella put a worn in blanket and moved it to the foot of her bed. It didn't take long before Graham fell asleep.

Bella was just getting in her bed when her phone started ringing. It was Jake.

"Hey!"

"Hey, loser!" Jacob's voice flowed through the speaker.

"Guess what, dude!"

"What?!" Jacob half shouted.

"I got a puppy!"

"Aww! When can I meet him? What's his name? It's a boy, right? Is he adorable?! Don't answer that last one, stupid question. All puppies are adorable!"

Bella laughed at her best friend. "You can come over tomorrow after school and his name is Graham. I wuv him alweddy."

"Aw baby." Jacob cooed.

"So tell me what happened, mister!"

"Oh my god, it was amazing! He took me to the arcade and we just goofed around. He was trying to hold my hand like the whole time," Bella giggled, "and then he bought me some ice cream and we ate it at the park and talked about _everything_. Ugh! He's so cute." He sighed.

"Soooo what happened when he took you back home?" Bella wanted ALL the deets. This was Jacob's first date with a guy he met at last year's Warped Tour. They hit it off and had been talking for a few months. Jacob was head over heels for the guy.

"I don't kiss and tell, Bells." Jacob smiled and Bella gasped.

"He kissed you?!"

"Yes'm!"

"Aww! I'm so happy for you!"

"Me too! I hope things work out between us. I really like him, Bella." Jacob said quietly.

"I know, bud."

"Well I should get going. I'll see you and puppy tomorrow! Love you, Bells." Jacob sent her a kiss via phone as he usually does and she returned it.

"Love you too, Jake. Bye"

"Bye."

Bella smiled as she put her phone on her nightstand. made sure her alarm was set, and checked on Graham. He was dead asleep. Bella giggled at turned off her lamp. Sleep quickly overcame her as she thought, _Today was a great day._

**End Chapter.**

_Author's Note: _Hey guys! I hope you liked it. Sorry it's not that long. I wrote this story for my Creative Writing class a year ago and it was terrible. Thought I would edit it and put it up here. Please tell me what you think! I would love to hear feedback to better myself for you all 3 I'm not that strong of a writer and this story is pretty short. I'm trying to make it longer, but we'll see how it turns out. Also, sorry if I miss a name change.

k thanks bye :*


	2. Chapter 2

**Dead & Kidnapped**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Or a Great Dane :/_

* * *

It had been a few weeks since Graham became part of the family and he fit right in. He was growing at an alarming rate, he was already double his size. Every night, he kept watch throughout the house, protecting them. When Bella and Renee were sleeping, Graham went downstairs and slept in the foyer, but he was always in his new and even bigger suitcase when they woke up.

When Bella woke up on Saturday morning, the sun was shining like every other day. She heard a car pass by and a few birds chirping. She turned her head to see the time, but instead of an alarm clock, she was met with Graham's light blue eyes. He barked suddenly, his loud voice making Bella scream in surprise.

"Bella?" Renee shouted from downstairs. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Bella laughed out as she rubbed Graham's ears. He started panting, his bad breath making Bella turn over in her bed with her face in her pillows. Graham barked again and this time he jumped on the bed and laid down directly on top of Bella.

"Graham!" Bella breathed out, "Get. _Off_!" But Graham didn't listen, instead he found Bella's face and licked her. "Okay! I love you, too, bud!" she laughed.

They both went downstairs to find Renee. She was in the kitchen making breakfast, as usual.

"Hey, mom. Do you need help with anything?" Bella asked.

"Oh hi, honey. Yeah, you can get out the strawberries and rinse them and other fruit if you want too. How did you sleep, hun?"

Bella walked over to the fridge as Renee was just finishing up making scrambled eggs. Graham sat right next to Renee, begging for food. "Really good. I haven't slept that well in a while."

"That's great, honey." Renee smiled.

After Bella rinsed the strawberries, she grabbed an apple and did the same. She grabbed two plates and two cups from the cabinet and set them on the breakfast bar.

As Bella and Renee ate their French toast, eggs, fruit, and freshly squeezed orange juice, they talked about what they would do for the day. Graham kept staring at them, his tail wagging furiously as he realized they were caving in. They gave him a slice of toast and he devoured it.

After cleaning up, Bella decided to clean her room and do her homework so she wouldn't have to do it for the rest of the week. Renee went into the garage to grab her tools to tidy up the flower garden in the front yard. Graham followed Bella upstairs and immediately went to his suitcase.

Bella turned on her iPod and opened the windows, letting the fresh air waft over her and clear her mind. She heard her mom hum the music as she walked past and Bella smiled as she stuck her head out the window. "I love you, mom!"

Renee looked up to see her beautiful daughter. "I love you, too, honey!"

Bella grabbed her backpack and went to her desk, determined to finish her English paper and Photography assignment.

Bella loved photography. She had four different cameras so far and loved to experiment. She took pictures of everything, mostly Graham and Renee. Her photography teacher was kind enough to let Bella use the dark room whenever she wanted since she favored film over digital.

A few hours had passed when Bella heard it. She didn't know where it came from, but she knew it was close. She turned to look at Graham, and when he bolted out of her room, she put down her camera and ran downstairs. She knew something was wrong. Her heart was racing, the sound still vibrating in her ears.

Graham was jumping at the door and pacing back and forth, he was whining to be let out. Bella started getting scared, she had never seen him like this before.

"Graham? Buddy, what's wrong?"

He barked and wouldn't stop after that.

Even though Bella didn't want to open the door, she did, she had to make sure Renee was okay.

When she opened the door, she didn't expect what she saw. She didn't want to believe it. She wanted to close her eyes and wish everything away.

Renee was on the ground a few feet away. It looked as if she was cloud gazing, her eyes open and motionless, her mouth slightly open, and her gardening tools right beside her left leg. There was one thing that caught Bella's eye when she first opened the door, and wasn't her mom. It was the man standing less than 15 feet away from her with a gun in his hand. Bella didn't recognize him, but it seemed as if he recognized Renee from the way he was looking at her.

"Mom." Bella whispered as she stared, tears blurring her vision as each second passed. Renee didn't move one inch. The wind moved strands of Renee's lovely hair over her face and Bella wanted nothing more than to brush them away, to hug her, to talk to her again, and for Renee to tell her that everything was going to be okay in her sweet and soothing voice.

Graham growled viciously, showing his teeth at the man as he turned to look at Bella, his face was now emotionless. He raised the gun without hesitation and she knew he was aiming for her. She jumped out of the way as she realized she was in danger, but she wasn't fast enough. The gun was loud as the bullet flew through the air and pierced her shoulder.

Bella screamed in pain as she fell. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to stay with her mom and make sure she was okay.

She heard a yell, and when she got up, she saw Graham jump at the man, knocking him down to the ground and start biting the man's arm and shaking it as if it was a doll. At that moment, Bella knew that she had to run. She had to protect Graham and herself. She wouldn't let her mom's death be for nothing.

"Graham!" Bella yelled over the man's yelling as she started running to the back door in the kitchen. She heard Graham bark once more before she heard the sound of his paws hitting the ground as he ran towards her.

They ran as fast as they could. Bella felt the pain from her shoulder, but she blocked it out, she didn't care. Her mother was dead. What is she going to do now?

As soon as Bella made it to the kitchen, herself and Graham went downstairs to the basement. It was small and more for storage than anything, but they used it as a pantry. Bella locked the door and turned on the light. Luckily she had her phone in her pocket.

Her hands shook, her vision blurry as she looked at the phone. She was starting to hyperventilate. Bella sat down on the hard concrete floor and Graham sat next to her, he started whining.

"I know, buddy." Bella hugged him. "Thank you." She tried to take deep breaths, she had to do this.

She dialed 911.

"911, what is your emergency?" A woman asked.

"My mom is dead. He shot her." Bella's voice quivered. "She's dead."

* * *

Charlie got off the plane and ran to the front doors. He hadn't packed anything, he just told David he was leaving, grabbed his wallet, and left for the airport. When he got the frantic call from his daughter just hours earlier, he couldn't believe it. He didn't understand how something so horrid could happen.

Charlie had always loved Renee. She was his first love, he could never forget her. Even after getting a divorce and marrying someone else, he would always love her.

He found his way to the hospital where Bella was. Charlie quickly found her room and as soon as he saw her, he ran over and hugged her tightly as she started to cry in his arms. Charlie found tears of his own falling down his cheeks into Bella's dark brown hair.

He remembered the first time he ever saw Renee. It was love at first sight. She was always so happy, her smile was infectious. Whenever Charlie was having a bad day, she would know exactly what to do to make him feel better. To this day, he didn't know why they had divorced. He thought they were perfect for each other. She completed him in ways he could never imagine. He was absolutely certain she was the one for him.

And she was.

Charlie stayed with Bella in the hospital until she got discharged the next day. Luckily it was a flesh wound and nothing more, but to Bella, it felt like her whole world had been shattered. Charlie didn't want to take Bella back to the house, so he picked up Graham, and they checked into a hotel for the night. It would be a while before they could actually go back to Washington. They had so much to do.

That night, Bella sat in one of the chairs in their room and just stared out the window as her tears silently fell. Graham sat next to her with his head on her leg as if he knew, as if he knew that they would never have the chance to see Renee ever again.

* * *

With his headphones in place and his iPod on full blast, Edward went walking to school. Even though it was three miles, he didn't mind it. At first, he was apprehensive at the thought of walking by himself. He didn't want to be alone in a town he just moved to, but once he got enrolled in boxing and self-defense classes, he felt more secure and confident that no one would mess with him. Even if someone did confront him, he was definite that he could take them down.

It was chilly today. The wind was blowing lightly in his face and the sidewalk was a bit icy. Samson zipped up his hoodie all the way, then did the same to the black jacket on top. He gripped the straps on his backpack tightly.

While walking, Edward started coughing. It had started about a week ago. He hated being sick. His temperature was slowly climbing each day, and he knew it wouldn't be long until he had to stay home for a while. Whenever he got sick, it was always bad.

Nothing much happened on his walk. Nothing usually does.

About 45 minutes later, Edward arrived at the school. There had been a fire six years ago, everything burned to the ground. It took a year to rebuild the school and this one was actually up to code. The new school building was very modern. 20 foot windows towered over the school entrance, which extended behind for the cafeteria and the gym, while two white brick columns supported the roof overhead. The school was just one level which expanded on either side of the entrance, the wide windows were clear and open to the outside world. The exterior of the school was painted brown with more white brick columns between every third window. Overall, Edward thought it was a very mature looking high school, he just disliked having to sit in it for eight hours, five days a week.

After he stopped by his locker to grab his math book, Edward went to his first period class and worked on his math test. He finished 15 minutes before the bell, so he sat in his seat and doodled.

Edward didn't mind school. He liked the classes he had, specifically Art III and AP Physics. After his parents died, he put everything he had into his school work to distract himself and it looked like it was paying off.

Next year, Edward would be going to college. It was only a few months away and he had yet to decide where he would be going. Because his grades were impeccable, he could go anywhere he wanted. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to go to college quite yet.

Edward found himself drawing a picture of a face he had seen in the window one day. He was looking outside, the window was foggy and it had been raining, and he just saw it. It wasn't a real person, but it was a face with an angry expression. He drew it before he could forget what it looked like.

The bell finally rang and he headed to PE. Edward didn't mind PE either, besides the fact that almost every prep in the school seemed to have it second period with him. It annoyed him immensely, but he endured it.

* * *

Bella stood in front of her new high school. The color of the walls reminded her of a Hershey's chocolate bar.

She knew everyone would stare and talk. That's how all schools were, every single one of them, but it depends on the students within the prison-like walls if they welcome the new student or not. Bella was thinking not.

Bella was missing Jake already. She knew that if he was there right beside her, she would have no trouble at all adjusting to life here in Washington.

Putting one foot in front of the other, she walked inside the school. The first thing she saw was the wall in front of her which had the school mascot painted on. It was a bear. Bella looked around and saw a glass wall to her left. She figured it was the main office so she grabbed the handle to the door and went in.

"Hello. Can I help you?" The blonde secretary asked. She was an older woman. The wrinkles around her eyes when she smiled reminded Bella of her mother.

Bella walked over to the desk where the woman was while adjusting the strap of the backpack on her shoulder.

"I'm a new student here." Bella spoke very quietly, looking down at her worn out Converse.

"Welcome! I'm certain you're going to love it here. What's your name, hun?"

Bella picked up her head to look at the woman as she spoke. "Isabella Swan."

The color of the woman's eyes took her by surprise. They were bright blue, just like the sky, the bright Arizona sky that she missed so much. Bella had to look away.

"Chief Swan's daughter! It's a pleasure to finally meet you! Well Isabella, here's your schedule and a map of the school. Your teachers will get you up to date on your assignments so you won't fall behind. Second period is nearly over, so you can go on and head to third. I hope you have a lovely day, miss." She smiled.

Bella looked up once more to smile in return and she went down the hallway as she looked at her schedule to find the classroom number, then looked at her map.

It wasn't hard to find her class. The art room was on the opposite side of the school. Two big wooden doors were opened which lead into one big art room with two separate rooms on the left side.

Bella took a deep breath and went to find her teacher. She wasn't as nervous as earlier since she was starting off with art today. Painting and drawing sometimes calmed her down, but it was Advanced Photography she couldn't wait for.

Bella's art class was the first of the two separated rooms. She guessed the other was also a classroom. Her teacher, Mrs. Harris, immediately noticed her and walked over.

She had short brown curly hair and was a little taller than Bella. She wore thick glasses and an apron which was covered with paint. Mrs. Harris seemed genuinely nice and happy and she hadn't even said one word yet.

"Why, hello there." Her voice was smooth and comforting. Bella instantly relaxed.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan."

"Of course you are, dear. I'm Mrs. Harris, as you already know. Can I see your schedule for a second?" Bella handed it over and after a few seconds, Mrs. Harris smiled. "Looks like you have third and fourth period here. Why don't you find an empty seat and wait so I go get our most current assignment. Don't worry about the ones before unless you really would like to do them."

Bella nodded and smiled. "Would it be okay if I can do them?"

"Of course, dear."

Mrs. Harris left and Bella knew that she would be one of her favorite teachers. She seemed so grandmotherly and down-to-earth.

She was still gone by the time the bell rang for next period. Bella waited as teenagers left and other ones filtered in to fill the room once again. Only one person had sat at the table she was sitting at. A petite girl with short black hair. She was getting her notebook out of her bag and once she set it on the table, she looked at Bella.

"You're in his seat." And then she opened her notebook and started drawing. Bella was puzzled, but didn't say anything in return.

"You're in my seat." Someone said. Bella was startled by the sudden voice that came to her left. When she looked up to see who it was, she was taken aback at how handsome he was. She was certain that she had never seen anyone as good looking as this man standing in front of her. His hair was brown, almost like a bronze color with some streaks of blonde, his eyes were emerald green "I'll let it go this time, noob." He walked over and sat across from Bella and next to the girl with the pixie haircut and got out his own notebook as well.

Finally, Mrs. Harris came back with a few canvases and large drawing pages. Bella thought it was nice of her to show her examples of the projects and not just explain it.

The bell rang once again to tell everyone that class had officially started. Mrs. Harris gave out instructions to keep working on their projects that were due before Thanksgiving break.

Bella was glad that Mrs. Harris didn't mention her as being the new kid, but she was certain that almost everyone already knew.

* * *

Edward silently watched the girl as she looked through the few projects Mrs. Harris had brought over for her to see. He could tell she was shy, the way she kept her head down even more than a normal person would, but he could also see light in her whenever he saw her brown eyes. She sparkled. Her dark brown hair looked nice and soft and she looked tired. Edward found her attractive, but as he looked back down to his notebook and started sketching again, she was no longer in his thoughts.

Time flew by and before he knew it, the bell rang. Packing up his notebook and pencils, he noticed that the new girl wasn't getting up to leave.

"The bell means it's time for your next class, you know." Edward said as he moved slightly closer to the girl.

"Thanks for the information," she said. She closed her notebook before Edward got the chance to see what she was drawing, "but I have fourth period here."

"Right." Edward said to himself. He left without saying anything else.

* * *

Bella had English and Advanced Photography after Ceramics. Bella had taken Ceramics at her other school and she simply fell in love with it. English was one of her stronger areas in school, but she didn't really have a passion for it like she does with photography and the arts.

School finally ended and she made her way to the back of the school where the busses were supposed to be. There weren't many kids, which she was thankful for. The bus wasn't here yet, so she pulled out her iPod, put her buds in her ears, and waited.

By the time Bella made it home, she saw Graham sitting in front of the window, waiting. She wondered how long he had been there and if he had been lonely. Charlie works long hours everyday, whereas Renee only worked long hours three days and had the rest of the week off.

She rushed inside and immediately gave Graham a hug. He was excited to see her as he usually is.

"Bella?" David shouted.

"Hey, David!" Bella shouted to him in return. She figured he was upstairs, and she knew she had guessed right when she heard him coming down the stairs.

David was Bella's half-brother. Charlie married Sue a few years after the divorce and then a few years on top of that, they had David. Bella liked Sue, thought she was nice, but unfortunately, she was in a car accident five years ago and was declared dead on site.

Charlie was obviously devastated for a year or so, but he picked himself back up for David. He had to take care of him and he wouldn't let himself ruin David's life by not being in it.

As for David, Bella truly loved the kid. He was 12 and just started middle school.

"What are you doing home, huh?" Bella asked.

"I didn't feel well, so dad picked me up from school." He held his stomach tightly.

"Oh no. Are you okay? What's your temperature? Do you need me to take you to the hospital? Are you bleeding? Do you still have ten fingers and toes? What's for dinner?"

David laughed and gave Bella a hug. "I'm glad you're living here now." he whispered.

Bella didn't say anything as she smiled and raked her fingers through his dark brown hair.

"Let's go do our homework and whoever finishes first gets to pick what's for dinner. Deal?" Bella asked.

David smiled and nodded, and at that, they were off.

**End Chapter.**

_Author's Note_: There you go! I was ecstatic at the reviews and favorites that I got from the first chapter, thank you so much for that! You have no idea how happy it made me :3 Sorry it's kind of late, I told people I would have it up today, but hey, it's still the 13th! I'm trying to extend the chapters as much as I can, but I think it might be how I'm writing it. I'm going to try first person, sorry if that throws you off, but I might be able to handle it better. Tell me what you think! The next chapter should be up before next Monday.

I love you guys so much ugh :*


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